Bowden Wyatt

{{Short description|American football player, coach, and athletic director (1917–1969)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Bowden Wyatt

| image = Bowden Wyatt.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|10|4}}

| birth_place = Kingston, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1969|1|21|1917|10|4}}

| death_place = Sweetwater, Tennessee, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1936–1938

| player_team1 = Tennessee

| player_years2 = 1943

| player_team2 = Del Monte Pre-Flight

| player_positions = End

| coach_years1 = 1939–1941

| coach_team1 = Mississippi State (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1946

| coach_team2 = Mississippi State (assistant)

| coach_years3 = 1947–1952

| coach_team3 = Wyoming

| coach_years4 = 1953–1954

| coach_team4 = Arkansas

| coach_years5 = 1955–1962

| coach_team5 = Tennessee

| coach_years6 = 1964–1965

| coach_team6 = Oklahoma State (assistant)

| admin_years1 = 1962–1963

| admin_team1 = Tennessee

| overall_record = 99–56–5

| bowl_record = 2–2

| tournament_record =

| championships = 2 Skyline Six / Skyline (1949–1950)
1 SWC (1954)
1 SEC (1956)

| awards =

AFCA Coach of the Year (1956)
SEC Coach of the Year (1956)
Consensus All-American (1938)
First-team All-SEC (1938)

| coaching_records =

| CFBHOF_year = 1972 (player), 1997 (coach)

| CFBHOF_id = 1827

}}

Clarence Bowden Wyatt (October 4, 1917 – January 21, 1969) was an American football player and coach. Wyatt played college football at the University of Tennessee and was later the head football coach at three schools, the University of Wyoming (1947–1952), the University of Arkansas (1953–1954), and his alma mater, Tennessee (1955–1962). He compiled a 99–56–5 record in 16 seasons as a head coach.{{Cite web |title=Bowden Wyatt College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/bowden-wyatt-1.html |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}}

In Wyoming, Wyatt turned around a team that had struggled under previous coach Bunny Oakes and had operated intermittently in the previous years because of World War II. His turnaround plan involved a round-the-clock training regimen, one that defensive back Marv Levy would later note did not allow players adequate time to complete their academic studies (leading Levy to transfer to Coe College). Wyatt's plan would secure Wyoming a perfect season and a win in the 1951 Gator Bowl.{{Cite web |last=Tucker |first=Cody |date=April 15, 2021 |title=Some of the University of Wyoming's Best Have Called Buffalo Home |url=https://7220sports.com/some-of-wyomings-best-have-called-buffalo-home/ |access-date=September 12, 2022 |website=7220 Sports |publisher=Townsquare Media |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Shearer |first=John |date=October 21, 2020 |title=Find out about the former Tennessee football coach who lived in Sequoyah Hills |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/shopper-news/bearden/2020/10/21/sequoyah-hills-had-famous-tennessee-football-resident-bowden-wyatt/3676277001/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel |language=en-US}}

Wyatt's most notable victory at Tennessee came on November 7, 1959, when his Tennessee Volunteers football Volunteers upset top-ranked LSU, 14–13, by stopping a two-point conversion attempt by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon late in the game. The victory ended the Tigers' 18-game winning streak.{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2011 |title=LSU vs. Tennessee - Five memorable games |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/lsu-vs-tennessee---five-memorable-games/article_998705bc-7924-5175-960f-f05f17ef6449.html |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}

Wyatt was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972 as a player and again in 1997 as a coach.{{Cite web |title=Bowden Wyatt (1972) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1585 |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Bowden Wyatt (1997) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1827 |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}

Personal life and death

Wyatt married Mary Alson Miller around 1940. They had one daughter named Mary Gail "Missy", born in 1942.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

Wyatt died of viral pneumonia on January 21, 1969, at hospital in Sweetwater, Tennessee.{{Cite news |last= |date=January 21, 1969 |title=Bowden Wyatt Dies in Sweetwater Hospital |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65186965/the-leaf-chronicle/ |access-date=December 13, 2020 |work=The Leaf-Chronicle |location=Clarksville, Tennessee |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}}}}

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team= | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Wyoming Cowboys

| conf = Mountain States / Skyline Six / Skyline Conference

| startyear = 1947

| endyear = 1952

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1947

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 4–5

| conference = 2–4

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1948

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 4–5

| conference = 0–5

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1949

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 9–1

| conference = 5–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1950

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 10–0

| conference = 5–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Gator

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 14

| ranking2 = 12

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1951

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 7–2–1

| conference = 5–1–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1952

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 5–4

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 39–17–1

| confrecord = 21–13–1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Arkansas Razorbacks

| conf = Southwest Conference

| startyear = 1953

| endyear = 1954

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1953

| name = Arkansas

| overall = 3–7

| conference = 2–4

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1954

| name = Arkansas

| overall = 8–3

| conference = 5–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Cotton

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 8

| ranking2 = 10

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Arkansas

| overall = 11–10

| confrecord = 7–5

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Tennessee Volunteers

| conf = Southeastern Conference

| startyear = 1955

| endyear = 1962

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1955

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 6–3–1

| conference = 3–2–1

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1956

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 10–1

| conference = 6–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Sugar

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 2

| ranking2 = 2

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1957

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 8–3

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname = Gator

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 16

| ranking2 = 13

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1958

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 4–6

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1959

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 5–4–1

| conference = 3–4–1

| confstanding = 8th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1960

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 6–2–2

| conference = 3–2–2

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 19

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1961

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 6–4

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = T–4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1962

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 4–6

| conference = 2–6

| confstanding = 10th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Tennessee

| overall = 49–29–4

| confrecord = 29–23–4

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 99–56–5

| bowls = no

| poll = two

| polltype =

}}

References

External links

{{College Football HoF|1585|Bowden Wyatt (player)}}
{{College Football HoF|1827|Bowden Wyatt (coach)}}
{{Find a Grave|36544658}}
[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/bowden-wyatt-1.html Coaching statistics] at Sports Reference

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Category:1917 births

Category:1969 deaths

Category:American football ends

Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches

Category:Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators football players

Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs football coaches

Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys football coaches

Category:Tennessee Volunteers athletic directors

Category:Tennessee Volunteers football coaches